Still Life (Van der Graaf Generator album)
| Recorded = 12-25 January 1976 at Rockfield Studios (except "Pilgrims" and "La Rossa" : June 1975 during Godbluff sessions) | Genre = Progressive rock | Length = 44:38 | Label = UK Charisma Records USA Mercury Records| Producer = Van der Graaf Generator | Last album = Godbluff (1975) | This album = Still Life (1976) | Next album = World Record (1976) | }} | rev2 = | rev2score = }} Still Life is an album by English progressive rock band Van der Graaf Generator, originally released in 1976. It was their second album after reforming in 1975, the first being Godbluff. One live bonus track was added for the 2005 re-release. Cover The album cover shows a Lichtenberg figure. The image was described by journalist Geoff Barton in Sounds: "It's actually a frozen-in-action shot of an electrical discharge from a real Van de Graaff generator machine, set in acrylic." Track listing All songs written by Peter Hammill, except where noted. Side one # "Pilgrims" (Hammill, David Jackson) – 7:12 # "Still Life" – 7:24 # "La Rossa" – 9:52 Side two # "My Room (Waiting for Wonderland)" – 8:02 # "Childlike Faith in Childhood's End" – 12:24 Bonus track (2005 reissue) # "Gog" - 10:29 ::(Recorded live at Theatr Gwynedd, Bangor, Wales on 10 May 1975) Response Geoff Barton of Sounds wrote: "Where "Still Life" scores over past LPs is in its precise and accurate reproduction of leader Hammill's vocals. He never really sings, rather he murmurs, shouts, screams or speaks, and this wide range of tonality has presented in the past often insurmountable problems for engineers, technicians and suchlike. Here, however, every subtle nuance of the 'chords has been captured successfully, providing greater variation, an abundance of light and shade.. "Still Life" is an essential album. If you think you have problems, listen to Hammill's and you'll probably never be able to worry about anything insignificant ever again."[http://www.vandergraafgenerator.co.uk/stl_s1.htm Barton, Geoff: "VDGG: a smile, a song and a nervous breakdown", Sounds, May 1976] Jonathan Barnett of New Musical Express, describing the songs on the album, wrote: "They start off with the kind of morbid over-sensibility, y'know.. smart ass existentialist one-liners like that, accompanied by furtive, lurching manic melodies that emphasise the personality disorientation of the whole thing."Jonathan Barnett, New Musical Express, May 1976. Steven McDonald, for AllMusic, notes that Hammill songs take ".. a dead run at a grandiose concept or two - the consequences of immortality on the title track, and the grand fate of humanity on the epic "Childlike Faith in Childhood's End." McDonald concludes: "The true highlight, however, is the beautiful, pensive "My Room (Waiting for Wonderland)", with its echoes of imagination and loss. Hammill did not achieve such a level of painful beauty again until "This Side of the Looking Glass" on Over." Interviewed by Mojo in 2002, Hugh Banton said: "I remember doing Still Life, which is possibly my favourite Van der Graaf album of all, and Charisma came along and said 'Oh, this is just a stop-gap album'. The stop-gap album!? We don't make stop-gap albums!". Personnel ;Van der Graaf Generator * Peter Hammill – vocals, guitar, piano * David Jackson – saxophone, flute * Hugh Banton – organ, bass, Mellotron, piano * Guy Evans – drums, percussion ;Technical * Pat Moran - engineer, mixing References External links * [http://www.allmusic.com/album/world-record-mw0000199466 Van der Graaf Generator - Still Life (1976)] - review by Steven McDonald at AllMusic.com * [https://www.discogs.com/Van-Der-Graaf-Generator-Still-Life/release/868223 Van der Graaf Generator - Still Life (1976)] - at Discogs.com * [http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=1420 Van der Graaf Generator - Still Life (1976)] - at ProgArchives.com * [https://open.spotify.com/album/2FJaS5kootX9CkS4DxL2eW Van der Graaf Generator - Still Life (1976)] - stream at Spotify.com Still Life Category:1976 albums Category:Charisma Records albums Category:Mercury Records albums